


Tell Me You Love Me

by rizcriz



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, covenant house drabbles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 17:15:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20049667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rizcriz/pseuds/rizcriz
Summary: Quentin Coldwater realizes he’s in love with his boyfriend on a Tuesday in the middle of June. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t be an issue. He could keep it tucked up in his head, this quiet little longing all for himself forever if need be.Except his boyfriend can read minds. And Quentin’s wards, despite his best efforts, are crap. Add to that his inability to tell a decent lie, and well.Penny Adiyodi finds out Quentin loves him on a Wednesday morning in the middle of June.





	Tell Me You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [WillowFaerie82](https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowFaerie82/gifts).

> Written to help support of Jason Ralph's Covenant House International Sleep Out Fundraiser. Check out @Drabbles4Jason on Twitter to see how you can get one of your own!

Quentin Coldwater realizes he’s in love with his boyfriend on a Tuesday in the middle of June. Ordinarily, it wouldn’t be an issue. He could keep it tucked up in his head, this quiet little longing all for himself forever if need be. 

Except his boyfriend can read minds. And Quentin’s wards, despite his best efforts, are crap. Add to that his inability to tell a decent lie, and well. 

Penny Adiyodi finds out Quentin loves him on a Wednesday morning in the middle of June. 

Quentin’s in the kitchen, standing at the counter with a bowl of cereal, mulling over his options. He knows if he starts singing Taylor Swift in his head, it’ll be a red flag. That Penny’ll go digging. Because it’s easily his clearest tell that he’s hiding something. He also knows that if he tries to strengthen his wards, Penny’s likely to worry (even if he’ll never admit its worry that gets him looting around in Quentin’s head for answers). Really, his mistake is pondering it at all while chewing, because he entirely misses the moment Penny appears in the room behind him. 

Right up until an arm, solid and warm, wraps around his waist, pulling him back against a firm, broad chest. “Standing at the counter to eat breakfast is bad for your back,” Penny murmurs into his neck, as Quentin shakily sets the bowl down on the counter. He presses a kiss to the junction of Quentin’s jaw. “Good morning.” 

Quentin’s eyes flutter shut, and he leans into the touch. Wills himself not to think the thought. Hopes Penny’s playing the privacy game. 

“This is where you say good morning back.”

He opens his eyes, twisting his neck to press a kiss to the corner of Penny’s mouth. “I’m still half asleep, you can’t yell at me yet.” 

Penny laughs, spinning him around and pressing him back against the counter. “No?” He asks, clasping his hands at the base of his back. “It’s my favorite thing about mornings. Hassling you.” 

“So you admit it. You  _ like _ me. I’m your  _ favorite _ thing.” 

Wrinkling his nose, he leans in and presses another gentle kiss to Quentin’s cheek, “Mm, no,” he murmurs, pulling back with a smirk. “I wouldn’t go that far.” 

Quentin’s heart hammers in his chest, and he rolls his eyes, shoving down the words that keep trying to pop to the forefront of his mind. He tries to think of a witty response instead, but all that comes out is a series of spluttering. And Penny’s eyebrows go up high on his forehead.

“What’s going on with you? You’re acting weird.”

“I didn’t sleep well.”

“You’re lying.”

Quentin scoffs, moves to untangle them, but Penny holds him against the counter.  _ “William.  _ Stay out of my head.” 

Which, wrong move. Because Penny’s eyes narrow, and usually he can get away with the real name usage. Especially in the dead of night when there are no witnesses, and he can get that little smitten smile to light up his face as he rolls his eyes. The smile that Penny denies even existing. The one that made the realization that Quentin loves him settle deep in his bones the night before. His  _ Just-for-Quentin _ smile. 

Penny takes a step back. “You love me?” His voice is soft, eyes are wide with disbelief. 

“Uh.” Quentin swallows thickly, inherently aware that Penny is a flight risk. He makes a face. “No?”

“So you  _ don’t _ love me.” 

A low whine builds in Quentin’s chest, panic dancing around it. “This isn’t fair. You can’t break up with me because you read my mind and found out I love you.” 

“Break. Up. With you?” Something dances in Penny’s eyes, until he’s moving back in, a predator with eyes only for Quentin. “Is that what you think? I find out you’re all truly, madly, deeply for me, and I’m gonna dump you?”

“Aren’t—aren’t you?” 

“I mean.” He hands settle on Quentin’s hips, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips as he leans down to loom over him. Quentin’s hands move back, to clutch onto the edge of the counter. “Can’t deny I’m a little pissed.” Quentin’s breath hitches, and he nods, ducking his head. “I’ve known I’m in love with you, for, like. Four months. What the fuck took  _ you _ so long, Coldwater?” 

Quentin’s head jerks back up. “Wait. You—“ his brow furrows, as Penny—in broad daylight, no less—smiles so brightly Quentin feels like he might go blind. “You—you love me.” 

“Why else would I put up with your crap?” He leans down and presses his lips to the corner of Quentin’s mouth, chaste and soft. He swears he doesn’t wear chapstick, but his lips are probably the softest thing Quentin’s ever felt on his skin. And Quentin once found a long lost container under his bed that Penny claims must have belonged to whoever lived in his room before him. He leaves his lips there for a moment, before pulling away, just enough to bump his nose against Quentin’s. “You gonna say it out loud, or what?” 

“You’re an ass.”

“Yes. I’m an ass, and . . .”

“You’re an ass and I love you.”

Penny grins wide and bright and kisses him. “Damn right you do.” 

  
  
  
  



End file.
